Press



June 4, i946. v L. B. HOOPER 1 2,401,302

, PRESS 4 I Filed April 11, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fiwlehfor Patented June 4, 1946 PRESS Lester Hooper, Beverly, Mass, Y assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J a corporation of New Jersey Application April 11, 1944, Serial No. 530,486

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to presses and is herein illustrated as embodied in a clicking machine.

Clicking machines commonly comprise a presser arm movable over a cutting block and toward and away from the block to effect pressure-applying operations upon a die positioned upon sheet material on the block to produce blanks from such material. In operating machines of this character, difficulty is sometimes experienced in handling leather, or other sheet material, which tends to curl up with the result that, when the presser arm is moved laterally over the block, the material may contact the edge or under surface. of the arm and be scratched or otherwise damaged thereby. This is particularly true when the arm has been used in, connection with double-edg ed cutting dies, which commonly results in marring the under surface of the arm, tending to produce projections which may cause scratches. Furthermore, it sometimes happens that an operator, in moving the arm over the block upon which curled stock is positioned, will attempt to smooth out the stock as the presser arm is descending upon the work, with the result that the operators fingers may be caught between the arm and the block, causing serious injury. In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved press including mechanism for avoiding likelihood of injury to the operator or to the material being operated upon.

To this end and as shown, I have provided, in a machine of the type referred to, having a presser arm movable over a cutting block, a guard extending along an edge of the presser arm, so'

constructed and arranged as to slide easily over material which it engages and as to extend beyond the edge of the under surface of the presser arm to form a safety device, the guard also being so arranged that upon depression of the presser arm it will yield upon engagement with the cutting block or any obstruction thereon. Preferably and as shown, two of such guards are mounted upon opposite sides of the presser arm in order that the operator and the material being Fig. 2 is a plan view of the clicking machine;

and

Fig. 3 is a view, on an enlarged scale and partly in section, illustrating the means for mounting the safety device on the presser member.

The invention is shown in a clicking machine having a frame I 0, a spindle I2 carrying a presser arm M, which is movable about the axis of the spindle over a cutting block l6, there being safety devices in the form of guards l8 mounted upon opposite sides of the presser arm, Fig. 2.

The spindle I2 is arranged to be reciprocated by an eccentric 20, power-operation of which is initiated by a starting lever 22 mounted upon the arm and arranged toset in operation clutch mechanism (not shown). For further details of the construction and operation of the machine itself, reference may be had to United States Letters Patent No. 950,986, granted March 1,

operated upon will be protected, irrespective of 1910, to Bates.

Each of the guards l8 comprises a rod 24, Fig. 2, upon which are loosely mounted a number of rollers or beads 26 of wood, plastic, or other suitable materials, the rollers being held in position upon the rod by collars 28 secured to the rod by set screws 30. Each guard is secured to an upstanding hand hold 32 on the beam M by means of two channel-shaped brackets 34, best shown in Fig. 3. Each of the brackets has a hook portion 36, which extends over the upper edge of the hand hold and is secured in position thereon by a screw 38. Mounted in each bracket 34 is a plunger 40, having an enlarged lower end portion 42 arranged loosely to receive the rod 24. Surrounding the plunger 40 is a spring 44 normally operative to force the plunger downwardly, the extent of downward movement being determined by a stop nut 46 threaded onto the upper end 48 of the plunger, and bearing against the upper portion of the bracket 34. The extreme position of the plunger is fixed by a lock nut 50, which prevents the stop 46 from rotating upon the plunger.

The plungers 40 are mounted on the brackets 34 in such position that the outer faces of the rollers arelocated an inch or more outwardly of the edges of the presser arm. Also, the position of each plunger is adjusted so that the rollers 26 are normally located one-eighth to one-half inch below the plane of the under surface, or striking face 21, of the presser arm. This construction makes it difficult even for a careless operator to get his fingers beneath the edges of the arm during operation of the machine. If the operator's fingers should be caught between one of the guards and the block, no serious harm will be done for the reason that the guard will yield through action of the springs 44. Furthermore, since the rollers are loosely mounted upon the rods 24, they may rotate readily when they engage stock which may extend upwardly from the cuttingblock, reducing friction to a minimum and avoiding any likelihood of injury to the material.

In the operation of the machine, when theoperator has located a die 52 upon the sheet material 54 on the cutting block l6, he grasps the starting lever 22 and swings the beam [4 over the die, and then trips the lever to initiate a pressure-applying operation of the arm; During movement of the arm laterally across the block, if the material to be operateduponis curled-or otherwise extends upwardly above theplane of the lower face of the arm, the guards [8 will engage it and smooth it out, passing over. the material without injuring it. At the same time, the guards project sufliciently in a downward direction and are so spaced fio'mthe edges of the presser arm as to prevent'the operator from'placing his fingers'beneath the edges of the arm. If, upon descent of the arm, the guards come in contact with the fingers of the operator; the work, or the cutting block, they will yield through action of the springs 40', without causing. any damage.

Having described my invention, what I'claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-of the United States is:

1. In a clicking machine comprising. a cutting block and a presser arm mounted for movement laterally over the block for movement heightwise of the block in producing pressure-applyin operations upon work positioned upon theblock, brackets carried by the arm, spring-p'ressecl it I plungers mounted in the brackets, a rod carried by the plungers and extending along an edge of the arm, and rollers carried by the rod.

2. In a clicking machine comprising a cutting block and a presser arm mounted for movement laterally over the block and for movement heightwise of the block in producing pressure-applying operations upon work positioned'upon the block, a rod extending along an edge of the arm and spaced outwardly therefrom, rollers loosely carried by the rod, and means for mounting the rod for yielding movement heightwise of the arm.

3. In a clicking machine, a cutting block and a presser arm movable laterally over the block and movable heightwise of the block in effecting pressure-applying operations upon work positioned uponthe block, a-guard extending along one edge of the 'arm and comprising a rod carried by the arm, rollers carried by the rod, the rod being normally positioned below the plane of the under surface of the arm for engaging work positioned upon'th'eblock to smooth it, the rod being spaced outwardly from the armto prevent the fingers of 'theop'erator from beinginserted betweenthe arm and the block; and means for yieldably mounting the rod for movement heightwise of the arm upon meeting an obstruction during movement of the arm toward the block.

4. 'Ina press having a cutting block and a presser member movable acros and heightwise of the block, a guard comprising-a rod resiliently mounted upon the presser member and extending along an edge'thereof, the rod being spaced from the edge of the presser member'to prevent insertion'of the fingers of the operator beneath the press'er member, and rollers carried by the rod for smoothing down the material being 0perate'd upon;

' LESTER'B: HOOPER. 

